Welcome to the School Soccer Hater Report: A breakdown of a few of the gamers, groups and traits across the sport that deserve ire. Should you’re not a fellow pessimist, proceed with warning. That is impressed by Brad Botkin’s NBA Hater Report. 

Steve Sarkisian thinks we’re silly

Throughout Monday’s press convention, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was requested why his 7-3 workforce had underachieved this season. Mid-question, he reduce in.

“Based on who?” 

To be truthful, it isn’t Sarkisian’s job to care in regards to the preseason AP Ballot, the place Texas was chosen No. 1 for the primary time in program historical past. It isn’t his job to concentrate to the expectations for his offense, which ranks thirteenth out of 16 groups within the SEC in yards per recreation since convention play began. It isn’t his job to learn what individuals had been saying about his program on the heels of a 35-10 loss at Georgia. And he was a day away from studying Texas would drop from No. 10 all the best way to No. 17 within the newest School Soccer Playoff rankings, all however squashing any doable playoff argument out of Austin ought to the Longhorns win out. 

However it is Sarkisian’s job to know that he took the No. 1 total quarterback recruit and preseason Heisman contender and delivered a passing offense that charges backside half within the convention. To see his program’s offensive line play fell off a cliff the second that All-American sort out Kelvin Banks left. To comprehend his groups have 83 whole yards speeding towards Georgia in three matchups during the last 13 months. To grasp that one thing is flawed along with his vaunted protection, which has been uncovered via the air in latest weeks. 

Sarkisian is getting paid $10.8 million a 12 months to diagnose and repair all these issues. An offseason resolution, on this author’s opinion, would come with hiring an offensive coordinator. He will likely be afforded each alternative to get this program again to the CFP (and by the best way, he adamantly mentioned Wednesday he isn’t leaving). However there are extra issues in Austin than at any level since Sarkisian acquired Texas rolling once more, and that simply shouldn’t be the case. Why play dumb? 

If the one expectations Sarkisian cares about are his personal, then how would he even outline an underachievement? Effectively, an intrepid social media consumer went again to Nov. 22, 2021 — virtually 4 years in the past to the day – when Sarkisian fairly explicitly laid out the expectations for his program. 

“If I used to be in Yr 4 of our program and I had three or 4 losses already proper now and I used to be banging this drum of the place we’ll be three or 4 years from now and we’re nonetheless not there, then I might be involved,” Sarkisian mentioned on the time. “…in Yr 4, if I am sitting right here with three or 4 losses, then I might most likely be extra involved.” 

Lower than 4 years later, Texas is 7-3 and coming off a 25-point loss to No. 5 Georgia. Even one month in the past, Sarkisian acknowledged the brand new actuality for Texas, which had reached the CFP in 2023 and 2024. 

“We have raised the bar from the place we had been once I acquired right here to the place we are actually,” Sarkisian mentioned in October. “We’re a playoff workforce. That is what we are actually. When that turns into the usual, all of us need to go maintain ourselves to that customary.” 

On Monday, although, Sarkisian put the load of any failed expectations on the toes of “who voted us No. 1.”

Sarkisian would not need to gaslight his fanbase. It is irritating to have a disappointing season. However he is basked in sufficient success in recent times that it will not kill him acknowledge the bar deserves to be increased than 7-3 (with two video games to go) after fielding one of many highest funding rosters within the historical past of school soccer. 

Julian Sayin would not have an actual Heisman case

No. 1 Ohio State is the most effective workforce in faculty soccer, and it isn’t that shut. The Buckeyes are obliterating opponents in all phases and are in nice form to affix Georgia as the one back-to-back nationwide champions of the playoff period. 

Within the wake of their success, quarterback Julian Sayin has emerged as this system’s candidate for the Heisman Trophy. Vast receiver Jeremiah Smith is the consensus greatest participant in America, however his numbers are lackluster because the Buckeyes unfold the ball. So, in keeping with FanDuel, Sayin trails solely Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza in Heisman odds. 

Frankly, there is a actually good case that Sayin is the most effective quarterback in America. The previous five-star recruit is finishing 80.1% of his passes for two,675 yards, 25 touchdowns and solely 4 interceptions. Sayin is on tempo to shatter Bo Nix’s completion proportion file. When he is referred to as upon, he flashes with the most effective. 

The factor is, Sayin is sort of by no means referred to as upon. 

For a second, let’s take a look at Ohio State’s greatest video games: No. 1 Texas, No. 17 Illinois and Washington. The Buckeyes approached all three of these video games in the identical means: They principally punted on the passing recreation! 

In these three video games, Sayin threw the ball solely 25 instances per recreation with a median depth of goal of 6.6 yards. Towards all different FBS opponents, Sayin has thrown the ball 31.3 instances per recreation for 9.4 yards per try. Sayin threw for under 166.7 yards per recreation in these three wins, in comparison with 311.5 within the six others. 

That is to not say there’s something flawed with that. Credit score to teach Ryan Day and his employees for placing Sayin able to succeed. When the time comes within the School Soccer Playoff, that recreation administration will repay, identical to it did throughout a dominant CFP run final season. However actually, there have not been many Heisman Trophy winners {that a} workforce hid in high-leverage spots. 

Additionally, Sayin is — at greatest — the third-best participant on his workforce. Smith and security Caleb Downs are higher by a large margin. Receiver Carnell Tate and linebacker Arvell Reese have been superior and could possibly be early 2026 NFL Draft picks. Instances could possibly be made for defensive linemen Caden Curry and Kayden McDonald, and linebacker Sonny Kinds too. 

The Heisman Trophy is about being essentially the most excellent participant within the nation, and elevating a program to new heights. Whereas Sayin is a star within the making, he’s merely a luxurious at Ohio State, not a necessity. There’s time to alter my thoughts right here. Michigan within the season finale after which, probably, Indiana within the Huge Ten Championship give the Buckeyes two marquee alternatives to let Sayin unfastened in a high-leverage spot — ought to they even discover themselves in a single.